Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Archaeology
A carved rock found in Jordan may be the oldest known chess piece
The 1,300-year-old game piece, which resembles a rook, or castle, was found at an Early Islamic trading outpost.
- Humans
Why screening DNA for ‘designer babies’ probably won’t work
While simulations suggest it’s possible to predict a child’s height from looking at an embryo’s DNA, real-world examples say otherwise.
- Archaeology
An AI found a hidden Nazca Line in Peru showing a humanoid figure
An artificial intelligence program designed to go through massive datasets for hints of ancient geoglyphs called Nazca Lines has discovered a new one.
- Climate
The loss of ‘eternal ice’ threatens Mongolian reindeer herders’ way of life
Mongolian reindeer herders help scientists piece together the loss of the region’s vital “eternal ice” patches.
- Health & Medicine
Dengue cases in the Americas have reached an all-time high
There have been more dengue cases in the Americas this year than ever before, according to the Pan American Health Organization.
- Neuroscience
Some people with half a brain have extra strong neural connections
Brain scans of six people who had half their brains removed as epileptic children show signs of compensation.
- Health & Medicine
Full intestines, more than full stomachs, may tell mice to stop eating
A new description of stretch-sensing nerve endings in mice’s intestines could lead to ways to treat obesity.
- Science & Society
A Dallas museum hosts rare hominid fossils from South Africa
Fossils of the South African hominids Australopithecus sediba and Homo naledi are on display at the Perot Museum of Science and History in Dallas.
- Health & Medicine
For people with HIV, undetectable virus means untransmittable disease
HIV outreach and care in Washington, D.C., reveals the struggles and successes of getting drugs into the hands of those who need them.
- Health & Medicine
Drug-resistant microbes kill about 35,000 people in the U.S. per year
The latest CDC report on drug-resistant microbes finds that these pathogens infect close to 3 million people in the United States each year.
- Health & Medicine
Vitamin E acetate is a culprit in the deadly vaping outbreak, the CDC says
Researchers detected vitamin E oil in all samples of lung fluid from 29 patients suffering from lung injuries tied to e-cigarettes.
- Health & Medicine
Mom’s immune system and microbiome may help predict premature birth
Analyzing patients’ immune systems, microbiomes and more, researchers find signals to pinpoint and halt premature labor.
